You probably knew on some level that you would outlive your beloved pet,

because animals age so much faster than we do.

But when the time comes to say good bye, you're not prepared, and it

devastates you anyway.

Blinded by your loss, you grope to make sense of your pet's passing and to

find a way to ease the pain and heartache. But nothing seems to help.

The truth is, there is no miracle cure for the pain you feel at losing a

cherished pet. We can't simply short-circuit the mourning process. And, in

fact, it wouldn't be healthy to do so.

If we try to deny our pain and soldier on as if nothing has happened, it only

drives the sadness deeper and it's even harder to overcome. You must

experience your grief if you're ever to get past it.

When you lose a treasured pet, you may ache physically, mentally and

emotionally. You may actually feel sick and want to retreat from life to

nurse your wounds. That's not always possible. Life does not stop to wait for

us to recover from emotional blows.

It's really helpful if you have an understanding friend to share your grief

with. Not everyone understands the sorrow people feel when they lose a pet,

so find someone who does realize that this isn't "just losing an animal."

It's losing a cherished companion.

This is a time to be extremely gentle with yourself. Do whatever makes you

feel better.

It's good to take some time alone, but you don't want to overly isolate to

the point where you become depressed.

Everything you see may remind you of your pet, and this can make you feel

sad. But the tears you shed are an important part of the healing process. Let

them fall. Don't try to stop them.

One thing you can do is to send out announcements to people you love and

trust. Letting people know that your beloved pet has died has a way of

touching others' hearts.

Their phone calls, cards and caring gestures in response to your sad news can

be extremely comforting during a time when you're having to grapple with the

major change that your pet's departure brings to your life.

Although you may want to retreat, reaching out can be tremendously healing.